Brooks Sports Is Moving To Seattle

Bothell, Wash. – Oct. 20, 2011 – Brooks Sports, Inc. today announced it will “Run Happy” right into Seattle’s vibrant Fremont/Wallingford area, relocating its global headquarters to the recently announced 3400 Stone project by Skanska USA Commercial Development. With a move-in date slated for late 2013, Brooks Sports, Inc.—parent company to Brooks and Moving Comfort—will occupy roughly 80,000 usable square feet of the 120,000-square-foot building, which is located across the street from Seattle’s popular Burke-Gilman Trail. The ground floor of the new Brooks headquarters building will also house the brands’ first ever retail concept shop.

“We have an incredible opportunity to create a new home for our leading performance brands that exemplifies who we are and ingrains us in the local running community,” said Jim Weber, president and CEO of Brooks Sports, Inc. “Brooks’ mission is to inspire people to run and be active, and it’s our hope that we become a welcoming trailhead along the Burke-Gilman Trail. We believe runners, walkers and others will gather at Brooks to meet friends, start their workouts and celebrate a good run.”

Recently named to Outside magazine’s fourth annual “Best Places to Work” list, Brooks Sports, Inc., is experiencing double-digit, year-over-year growth. In the running category, Brooks passed all competitors to take the No. 1 market share position in specialty running—a leadership shift that hasn’t occurred in more than 15 years. Sports bra and women’s fitness apparel brand Moving Comfort holds the No. 1 market share position for sports bra sales in this critical and influential retail channel.

“We are excited to have found a community and a tenant, whose company aligns so well with ours and the deep green strategies planned for this building,” said Lisa Picard, executive vice president of Skanska USA Commercial Development’s Seattle office. “All of us are committed to vibrant placemaking within our urban communities.”

Skanska USA Commercial Development has signed a long-term ground lease with Suzie Burke, a major landowner in Fremont, at the intersection of Stone Way N. and North 34th St.—adjacent to the Burke-Gilman Trail. The site offers the developer a unique opportunity to create a meaningful trailhead—a gathering place for the community and trail users—that is anchored by Brooks, a brand that promotes an active lifestyle.

“Brooks Sports’ decision to locate in Seattle means 300 new jobs. That’s a big deal for us right now. It shows that Seattle has what it takes to attract significant new investment even in these tough economic times,” said Mayor McGinn. “And Skanska’s response to the Seattle Living Building Pilot Program is evidence of regulatory reform facilitating job creation in Seattle. This is a win for business and a win for Seattle.”

The 3400 Stone project is Skanska USA’s first development effort in the Seattle market. The project is participating in the City of Seattle’s Living Building Pilot Program, which encourages the implementation of sustainable strategies toward the Living Building Challenge. Designing a building to the requirements set forth by the City’s Pilot Program—for example, water and energy use must be reduced by more than 75-percent—is rigorous and risky for today’s developers. Such projects provide benefits to tenants and the community by lowering energy use, providing greater access to daylight and strong ground-floor community connection. 3400 Stone is the second project since 2010, and the first market-rate project, to pursue the City’s Pilot Program.

Founded in 1914, Brooks Sports, Inc. is currently headquartered in Bothell, Wash. For more information about Brooks and its performance running footwear, apparel and accessories, visit www.brooksrunning.com. For more information about Brooks’ sister brand Moving Comfort, visit www.movingcomfort.com.

About Seattle’s Living Building Pilot Program

The Living Building Pilot Program—launched by Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development in 2010—assists projects pursuing Living Building Challenge requirements by facilitating the permitting of these ultra-green buildings, which push the boundaries of current building design and construction methods. The purpose of the program is to provide flexibility in development standards of the land use code to accommodate innovative technologies or design approaches that might otherwise be discouraged or prohibited by regulations.

About Skanska

Skanska USA is one of the largest, most financially sound construction networks in the country serving a broad range of industries including healthcare, education, sports, data centers, government, aviation, transportation and water/wastewater. Skanska’s financial strength allows the company to self-finance its development projects, taking strategic positions when the lender debt markets are less capable. Headquartered in New York with 35 offices across the country, Skanska USA employs approximately 7,000 employees committed to sustainable construction and an injury-free workplace. Skanska USA Building, which specializes in building construction, and Skanska USA Civil, which is focused on civil infrastructure, generated $4.8 billion in revenue in 2010, representing 31 percent of Skanska’s global construction revenues. Additional operations in the U.S. include Skanska USA Commercial Development, which pursues commercial development initiatives in select U.S. markets, and Skanska Infrastructure Development Americas, which develops public-private partnerships. Global revenue of parent company Skanska AB, headquartered in Stockholm and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, totaled $16.9 billion in 2010.

About Brooks
Brooks is a leading running company that designs and markets a line of performance footwear, apparel, and accessories in more than 60 countries worldwide. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Brooks was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle. The company’s mission is to inspire everyone to run and be active by creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and faster. Visit www.brooksrunning.com for more information, and to follow frequent brand updates on Twitter (@brooksrunning) and Facebook (brooksrunning).

About Moving Comfort®

Established in 1977 with the first women’s running short, Moving Comfort designs and delivers fitness apparel and sports bras that support and inspire women to get fit, be healthy, and achieve their own unique personal best. Headquartered in Seattle, Wash., Moving Comfort is a division of Brooks Sports, Inc. Visitwww.movingcomfort.com for more information.